Cycle saddles



April 1960 H. E. KALTER 2,931,423

CYCLE SADDLES Filed Aug. 18, 1958 INVENTOR. Ham/d E. Ka/fek United States Patent CYCLE SADDLES Harold E. Kalter, Elyria, Ohio, assignor to Troxel Manufacturing Company, Elyria, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 18, 1958, Serial No. 755,786

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-514) My invention relates to cycle saddles and particularly to the type of saddle wherein a generally downwardly directed post is secured thereto for mounting to a tricycle, bicycle or similar velocipede.

The present application is directed to a simple and novel means for securing a cycle saddle post to the saddle frame in any desired adjusted position without the use of reach members, braces, or similar supports which are found in prior saddles with which I am familiar.

It is an object of my invention to provide a saddle of the type referred to which is adapted to have post attachment and/or post support means integrally associated with the saddle.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means for mounting the post to the saddle frame which will permit the post to be securely positioned at various angles relative thereto.

Another object of my invention is to provide a saddle of the class referred to which will be inexpensive to manufacture and composed of but few parts.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide such a saddle which will have great strength and be highly durable in use.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become more apparent by reference to the art to which my invention appertains.

My invention is fully disclosed in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a saddle embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side plan view of the saddle of Fig. 1;.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken from the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the post and securing means shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a centrally disposed recess in the saddle frame.

Referring now to the drawings,-at 1 I show the saddle frame, preferably formed from a single piece of sheet metal by cutting and stamping operations. The frame is generally of pear form and is preferably provided with a downwardly bent, peripheral skirt, said skirt being rela tively short at the forward end of the saddle as indicated at 2 and progressively increasing in length toward the rearward end as shown at 3.

The generally central portion of the saddle frame 1 is ice 7 is provided in the bottom wall portion 5 for adjustable mounting of a saddle post member 10.

The saddle post 10 (Figs. 3, 4, and 5) comprises a preferably cylindrical rod having a generally flattened, upper end portion 11. The upper end portion 11, is formed by means of cutting, grinding, or the like operations to provide diametrically opposite, parallel planar surfaces 11a and corresponding shoulders 10a. The fiattened end 11 is of such lateral dimension as to slidably interfit the slot 7, said slot being substantially longer than the normal diameter of the saddle post 10. The planar surfaces 11a prevent the post 10 from rotating within the slot 7, but said post can be adjusted freely in a forward or rearward direction within the limits of said longitudinal slot prior to final assembly of post and saddle frame.

A pair of rectangular washers 15 and 16 are provided respectively below and above the slot 7 to reinforce the bottom wall 5 for mounting of the post 10 thereto. Said washers are arcuately curved to complementarily interfit said wall and are centrally rectangularly apertured at 15a and 16a respectively, said apertures being so dimensioned as to slidably interfit the flattened end 11.

In assembly, the flattened end 11 is projected through the washer 15, the slot 7 in the bottom wall 5, and the washer 16 until the washer 15 abuts the shoulders 10a whereupon the upwardly projecting end portion is swaged as shown at 12 in Figs. 1, 3, and 4.

It will be understood that the post 10 may be rigidly mounted within the slot 7 at any adjusted position within the limits of said slot. As shown in Fig. 3, the range of adjustment in the presently disclosed device is preferably about 35 from the vertical in a forward direction. This range may, however, vary to meet different needs and to adapt to differently constructed cycles. Because of the arcuately curved shape of the bottom wall 5, the post 10 mounted therein will radiate axially from thecenter of such arcuate formation regardless of its position within the slot 7.

The shape of the recess 4 is particularly designed to provide the strength necessary to withstand stresses placed upon the saddle frame 1. It will be noted that the curved wall 5 merges gradually into the upper surface 1a of the saddle frame 1 thereby presenting a rigid bracing against distortion when the saddle is stressed in a forward or rearward direction. The side walls 6 are longitudinally generally concave as seen from above the saddle (Fig. 6) thereby presenting great resistance to buckling or twisting. The rectangular washers 15 and 16 are preferably of a width equal to the width of the bottom wall 5 and preferably of at least equal length to provide large bearing surfaces for the saddle frame. found that such construction will withstand forces far in excess of those to which a cycle saddle is ordinarily subjected.

It will be readily understood that the present saddle construction would be provided with a suitable cover for commercial purposes, and it may be padded or otherwise made more comfortable and attractive to the public (not herein illustrated). A pad of suitable resilient material shaped to complementarily interfit the recess 4 (also not shown) is preferably provided to assure a smooth, and uninterrupted contour to the upper surface 1a of the saddle frame.

It will be obvious that numerous changes in the details of my invention may be made, such as changes in size and dimension, without, however, departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cycle saddle comprising a frame and a post, said frame having a centrally disposed recess portion, said recess providing an arcuately depressed surface having a longitudinal slot therein, said post projecting through It has been said sle: and being longi fiidinally adjustable therein grilounted in jtheiadjusted position to said frame.

2. A cycle saddle comprising a sheet metal frame, a

post having a noncireular end portion, said frame. being 7 recessed to'forrn an areuate vbottornQwall, said bottom wallbeing longitudinally noncircularly aP l'tl1I ed, 31d saidinoncircular end portion of said post being telescoped through said longitudinally extending aperture of said bottom wall, a pair of arcuately formed, noncircularly apertured washers disposed on either side of said bottom wall complementarily therewith, the apertures of said washers cornplementarily inter-fitting the noncircular end 15 portion and'being aligned viii th the aperture ins-aid bottom wall whereby said end .portiontprojeets through said 5 7 maintain the recited parts in assembled relationships.

7 References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v Brandt r al, Feb. s, 1938 2, 43,701 Kalter r t June so, 1953 r FOREIGN PATENTS 6,853 7 France Ian. 25, 1907 24,362 Great, Britain 4 Mar. 28,1896 

